The Life and Lies of Nicole Riddle, book 1
by nicole813711
Summary: Nicole Riddle is just your average orphan living with her adoptive parents, right? Wrong. Nicole Riddle has been abused since she came to live with her adoptive parents. When a strange man all in black with obsidian eyes arrives, she discovers she's a witch! What more? There's a dark secret the staff at Hogwarts is intent on keeping: she's Voldemort's daughter! M for violence
1. I'm a Witch?

**Disclaimer: I own nothing! JK Rowling is the lucky woman to own it all!**

_Nicole's POV_

I fell back, hitting my spine against the table and hissed. I looked up, spitting blood out of my mouth, at my father whilst trying not to show any emotion, any hint of how much pain I was in. We locked gazes, glaring. If looks could kill, we'd both be dead right now. He shook the letter again in front of my face, continuing his rant as I placed a hand on my cheek, feeling the scratch from his key.

"You are a freak! A freak! Just like your mother-"

"My mother? What do you know about my mother? You aren't even my real parents!" I shouted, looking between my silent 'mother' and my furious 'father'. They weren't my real parents. I'd lived in an orphanage for the first three years of my life until they adopted me. They made sure to remind me multiple times that I wasn't their child and they felt no remorse abusing me (or raping me in my "father's" case) so, I decided to throw it back in their faces. He growled before smacking me. My head snapped back, my mouth now profusely bleeding. I glared back, determined not to make any sound at all, not to show any emotion.

"At least your mother knows how to use it," he said, looking at my adoptive mother. The sad truth was that he was ranting about some school described in the letter that I didn't even know about. Use what? What was he talking about?

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said, deciding that being truthful would hopefully get me out of this one. He yanked me from the ground, pushing me over the table and smashing into a vase. The vase shattered, piercing my arm and stomach. I looked up at him, fearful, but not showing it as he flipped opens his pocket knife. That was when my 'mother' finally spoke.

"Jack, wait. Allow me. I won't kill her. You may get too knife happy and kill her. You know you don't want that. You _love_ torturing her," she said, smiling and placing a hand on my adoptive father's chest. He backed away, flipping in his knife. He smiled before backing away to the doorway leading to the kitchen. I watched him smile and turn to my 'mother' as she pulled that stick out of her pocket. I couldn't stop the look of horror that flashed across my features. I was so terrified of that stick. Every time she would take it out, weird things would happen. I had multiple long and deep gashes that would appear from absolutely nowhere when that stick came out. I couldn't help but allow the whimper escape my lips as I dragged myself away, tears falling and mixing with the blood that was seeping from my wounds to the floor. I was almost to the front door. Just a little further. That was when all hell broke loose… not that it hadn't been loose already but more like absolutely escaped any bondage still reining it in.

The door had flown open, knocked completely off its hinges. My mom turned to the shadow standing in the doorway, pointing the stick at him. I suddenly felt a pang of guilt and remorse for the man, knowing that he would be injured due to something originally meant for me. My mother hissed something, a bright red light flashing out of the end of the stick, soaring towards the man. I froze in horror as I watched the man deflect it. That was when my father grabbed my collar and dragged me towards the basement. The basement served a dual purpose. It was my prison cell as well as the beating room. I watched as the man and my mother engaged in a sort of dual, firing flashes of lights at each other. I whimpered as my dad punched me, causing me to spit out more blood. I watched his dark smile creep up as he laughed at the sight of my blood. Behind him, I could see my 'mother' fall to the ground, stick rolling from her hands. My 'father' noticed and stood his ground, watching the other man stalk closer. My 'father' turned, kicking me in the gut and sending me down the stairs. I tumbled down, smashing my head off the stone at the bottom. I could feel the liquid pouring out of the back of my head as I dragged myself slowly and painfully to my closet. I could hear screams upstairs which I assumed to be my father's. I yanked open the closet door, prying myself up off the ground. It was difficult but I managed to limp into the closet, shutting and locking the door. I could hear footsteps as they cautiously made their way down the stairs. I turned to the back of the closet, in horror, and opened the secret door at the back. Nobody with the exception of me knew of this passage so I figured I was safe. I limped in, locking the door behind me as I continued down the passage. I could hear the closet door opening at the other end. The man was surely looking for me but I wasn't worried. The door to this secret passage was practically invisible. I stumbled slightly, trying to keep myself up as I opened the next door.

I walked into a wide, dungeon like room with a high ceiling. Looking up, I could faintly see the rafters above as I shut the door, locking it behind me. I sighed a breath of relief as I stumbled, collapsing to the floor. My legs would no longer support me as I was losing too much blood. It was no use to try anything. Sadly, I realized that this was it. I would die in this house after all, in my only safe haven no less. I was lying on the ground, struggling to breathe when I heard footsteps. They were coming down the passage, coming closer to my secret room. Sadly, I knew I was going to die, realizing that my last safe haven, secret hiding place, was gone forever. As I lost consciousness, I realized that my only safe haven was destroyed.

I woke up, pain shooting through me. This was wrong, so very wrong. How could I be in this much pain if I was dead? I opened my eyes, looking above me to see a strange man. I scrambled, crawling pitifully away from this man and into the corner. It was then that I realized that I was crying and still bleeding profusely. The pain had not lessened but had worsened. I could see the man clearly now as he stalked towards me, walking into the pool of light coming from a candle. He was very tall, towering over me. I could tell he was much taller than my father but that was not what frightened me. He had greasy, black, shoulder length hair and a cold, blank expression, save the occasional sneer. He had a hooked nose and wore all black from head to toe. His eyes were the worst. His eyes were as black as true darkness and as cold as a rock. They reminded me much like the large piece of obsidian my father had sitting in the living room; cold, dark, and emotionless. I winced at the thought, thinking back to the time my father had stained that piece of obsidian red with my own blood. The man seemed shocked, not truly knowing what to do as I backed away into another pool of light coming from another candle. He gasped, seeing my injuries for what must've been the first time. He walked over quickly, almost gliding over as he bent down next to me. I tried to crawl away, backwards, but he caught my wrist, holding me in place.

"Damn it. Relax. Relax you foolish girl and let me attempt to help you," he sneered, dragging me back as I attempted to crawl away again. He whipped out a stick, very similar to my mother's and I couldn't help but flinch and fall into a fetal position, crying pitifully. I hated doing this. I was much stronger than this to be showing such emotion to a stranger.

_Snape's POV_

"Damn it. Relax. Relax you foolish girl so I can attempt to help you," I snarled, mentally kicking myself for this. Dumbledore had warned me that there might be trouble and told me to make sure the girl wasn't injured. I dragged her back, keeping a firm hold on her wrist as she attempted to drag herself away. She was obviously frightened but I couldn't think of that right now. I had to heal her as quickly as possible. It seemed like this day of bad luck would never end. I whipped out my wand, ready to wave it and remove all the glass from her arms and stomach when she froze. At the sight of my wand she flinched before falling into a fetal position and crying hysterically. It was rather pathetic yet scared and shocked me. I had no idea what to do at that moment. I wondered, feeling both pity and sorrow for this poor girl, what could have happened her to make her scared to death of a wand. I didn't know what to do for the poor girl. Obviously, comforting her was out of the question as it wasn't up my alley. I sighed, shaking my head before trying something. "Stop jerking around and let me help you," I said, grabbing her wrist and dragging her back towards me. I could hear her ragged breathing and knew she was dying in front of me. I had to do something and soon.

The girl kicked and struggled, trying to get out of my grasp. I stood, easily lifting her off the ground with one hand by her collar. This action seemed to cause her to cry even more. _Great Severus. Look at what you've done. Now she is hysterical and probably past the point of no return_, I said, mentally scolding myself. I pointed my wand first at her head wound and muttered, "Vulnera Sanentur" repeatedly under my breath. I watched as her head wound healed itself leaving nothing but her hair matted with blood. I turned my attention to her arms and stomach and flicked my wand, removing all of the glass. I then repeated the spell until nothing but faint scars were left covering her arms. I sighed in relief, hoping that she wasn't still injured as I pulled her to her feet. She was still weak, shivering, and crying as I pushed her to the table in the center of the room. I realized that I shouldn't be that rough with the poor girl but was mainly focused on finishing the rest of the healing process. She had lost so much blood that a blood replenishing potion was needed… maybe a dozen.

"Listen, you can trust me. I don't intend to harm you," I said quietly while mentally summoning the blood replenishing potion. A couple of seconds later a dozen vials floated in through the door I had left open. The girl was still shaking but her sobs had quieted and she seemed to relax slightly. I rolled my eyes before uncorking the first vial. "Drink," I ordered, watching her carefully. She shook her head, trying to move further down the table but I grabbed her wrist and kept her in place. This girl was infuriating me, making it all the more difficult for me to fulfill my mission. I sighed. It was obvious that the girl didn't trust me enough to take the potion. I had to think of something and quick since she appeared to be slowly fading away.

"You vile little brat. I can't believe you did this; that you arranged this. You'll pay for this. YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS! I'LL KILL YOU! I SWEAR I'LL KILL YOU!" I whipped around to see the girl's father entering the room, pocket knife drawn. I couldn't help but feel a surge of pure hatred towards this man who was threatening the life of a poor innocent girl. _He'd pay for what he'd done to this poor girl. He'd regret ever abusing her,_ I thought silently, glaring at the man. He flinched under my gaze. I knew I could be incredibly scary when I wanted to. How else would I keep all the students at school in line? I could feel the corners of my mouth creep up into a smile as he strutted closer. He reminded me of that arrogant pratt James Potter who had tortured me relentlessly during our school days. He had gotten what he deserved but Lily... I tucked my wand away; smiling some more at the thought of settling this little feud like a muggle such as the man in front of me. I watched as the man put away the pocket knife, smiling at me. Obviously he was underestimating me which I must admit, happened quite often.

"So, you think you're so tough," said the man smiling and walking closer. "I think I'll teach you a lesson for helping her," he said, lunging at me, fist drawn back ready to punch. As his fist swung forward, I swiftly caught it, using his motion and weight against him. I dodged under the other man's arm, turning swiftly to face him, fist drawn back. The man stumbled before turning around to continue the fight only to see my fist soaring at his face. I felt my fist connect with his nose, to which I received a satisfying crunch. I watched him crumple to the ground, unconscious and with an obviously broken nose. I turned, hearing the girl's sobs. She was obviously frightened of this man and I was glad that I had the pleasure of teaching that arrogant pratt a lesson.

"Looks like _you_ needed the lesson," I mumbled, inaudible to anyone but myself, walking back to the girl and sitting next to her. I rolled my eyes before picking up the blood replenishing potion again.

"Will you take this now?" I asked, staring at her and holding the potion out. A few moments of silence passed before she nodded hesitantly and took the cap off. With a glance back at me, she tipped it and drank the whole vial.

_Nicole's POV_

I was sobbing at the sight of my father stalking into the basement. The sight of him almost petrified me to the point that I couldn't hear what he was saying. I saw him glaring at the man and said something before charging at him. I couldn't help but wince for the man but the hit never came. He had easily dodged it and before I knew what had happened, my father was unconscious with a broken nose. I shivered as the strange man seemed to mumble something, glaring at my father. I swore that if looks could kill, my father would be dead, pierced through the heart with a blade. I watched as the man walked back towards me, unable to keep the slowing sobs from coming. I watched as he sat down, unable to help the feeling of trust that washed over me. I truly think I could trust him seeing as he had just taken out my father bent on killing me. I could see him rolling his eyes out of the corner of my eye; he must think I'm hysterical. He reached behind him and picked up one of the dozens of tiny vials filled with a thick red paste of a liquid.

"Will you take this now?" he asked me, holding the potion out and giving it a slight shake. I sat silent for a few seconds, wondering if I could truly trust him. Would this potion really help or kill me? I hesitantly nodded and took the vial he offered. I carefully uncapped it before looking back to him nervously. He simply nodded, I guess trying to reassure me, and then I tipped it back and drank the whole vial. It tasted just like blood which caught me by surprise and I found myself gagging and doubled over in my seat.

"What the bloody hell is that?" I exclaimed between gags. I could see the ghost of a smile flash on his face before it was gone again. Hmm… he was laughing at me that jerk! I glared at him for a few seconds before that slight smile appeared again and he answered.

"That is what we wizards call a blood replenishing potion," he said, smiling. I just gaped at him for a moment. I couldn't pull my thoughts together from what he said. Wizards? Magic wasn't real. My mum had made sure I knew that during countless incidents. I couldn't help the cringe that clawed its way to the surface. I could see that he was very confused so I decided to answer.

"Blood replenishing potion? That's not even possible! Plus, wizards and witches aren't real! Magic does _not_ exist!" I exclaimed, emphasizing the not. He just rolled his eyes at me. He had obviously heard this before.

"Well then, Miss _Magic-does-not-exist_, would you then like to explain those flashes of light that were coming from our wands?" he asked me, extracting his stick from his cloak. I couldn't help but cringe away and slid further down the bench away from him. I wanted to put as much space between myself and that stick as possible. I could tell that he took note of my actions and worry lined his face. He was obviously wondering why I was so afraid of the stick. I then decided to put up my inner barriers. Whenever I didn't want to display any emotion, I thought hard of a blank brick wall circling my mind and keeping others out. I knew my expression would go blank and I could tell as a look of surprise flashed across his face. He seemed to be concentrating really hard on something but ended up just getting even more frustrated. "Why can't I read you?" he asked, more to himself than to me but I was still curious.

"What do you mean 'read me' and what… what is that stick thing you're holding?" I asked, sliding further down the bench seeing him raise the stick.

"You mean this?" he asked, waving around the stick. I cringed back, sliding further down the bench until I slipped off and onto the floor. I could see him rolling his eyes but he couldn't fool me. There was worry lining his face and eyes. I shook my head while he tucked the stick away. "Come on, sit back down. I have to give you more potions," he said, gesturing to the seat next to him. I stood and hesitantly walked back over and sat down next to him. He reached behind and took another vial. "Drink this," he said, handing it to me. This time I at least knew what to expect. I gulped the bottle and watched as he walked around the room. He looked back, seeing the empty vial and spoke. "Drink another one," he said before continuing walking around the room.

Six vials later, I felt like I was going to be sick all over the place. These potions tasted just like blood and I felt like a vampire. "Do I have to drink anymore?" I asked, turning to look at him. He was sitting down, looking at something in his hands. He looked up at me, placing the papers down and stuffing the remaining vials in his cloak.

"No. You should be fine," he said, turning back to the papers. He extracted an envelope from his cloak and, without looking, placed it on the table in front of me. I carefully picked it up realizing that it was addressed to me. I could see a print of blood on it and it was already open. This must've been the letter my father was raving about which caused this morning's episode. I reached in, pulling out several papers from the envelope and looked at them. The letter was talking about me being accepted to some sort of school called Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The letter read:

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL  
of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY_

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore  
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,  
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Miss. Riddle,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.  
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall  
Deputy Headmistress

I shook my head, unfolding the other papers. The 31st was today which is why, I assume, he was here. One had a list of different pets that were accepted at Hogwarts and the other had a list of materials for first years. The papers read:

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL  
of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY_

UNIFORM  
First-year students will require:  
sets of plain work robes (black)  
plain pointed hat (black) for day wear  
pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)  
winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)  
Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.

COURSE BOOKS  
All students should have a copy of each of the following:

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)  
by Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling

A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi  
by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them  
by Newt Scamander

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection  
by Quentin Trimble

OTHER EQUIPMENT

1 wand  
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)  
1 set glass or crystal phials  
1 telescope  
1 set brass scales

Students may also bring and owl OR a cat OR a toad.

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

I shook my head again, and placed the contents back into the envelope and pushed it back towards him. He looked up in surprise and shock.

"I don't know what you're playing at. I'm not a witch nor do I believe in witches. I think you have the wrong person," I said, standing up, feeling much better. I don't know how he did it but my cuts were healed and I no longer felt light headed. I turned, not truly knowing what to say to him. "Thanks for helping me out but you ought to leave. It's just going to be much worse for me later if you stay," I said quietly, turning back towards the door as he stood to follow. I waited for him to approach before turning to walk out but he grabbed my wrist and dragged me back in towards the table. I sighed, not fighting and sat down. "What do you want from me?"

"Listen, I don't know how to put this but you're a witch whether you like it or not. This," he said, taking out the wand and ignoring my cringe, "is a wand. We use this for our magic. Unless you are very powerful, a wizard or witch is nothing without their wand. Very few can perform magic without it. Now, that potion you took is magical. Those bursts of light upstairs were magical. What other proof do you need?" he asked, sneering at me. He obviously thought I was being childish but he didn't know. He didn't know what my life was like. How could he? Then he walks in mocking me. I felt the heat rise up inside of me. I tried to remain calm, remembering that he had knocked my dad out.

"All I know is that when my mum takes out a stick like that," I said, pointing at his so called wand, "bad things always happens and I end up bleeding half to death with these scars," I said, rolling up my sleeve and showing him some of my older scars. I couldn't help my voice shaking as tears started to roll down my face despite my trying to stop any emotion from showing. He frowned before sighing and shaking his head at me.

"Why can't I still read you?" he wondered out loud, again.

"What do you mean 'read me'?" I asked, getting annoyed again. He sighed and shook his head.

"Fine but it requires a little belief in magic. There is a branch of magic known as Occlumency and Legilimency. These branches of magic are the art of reading one's mind and blocking one's mind from others." Maybe there is such a thing as magic if he's pressing it this far. What if magic does exist?

"I'm not sure I believe in magic yet," I said looking up at him. I could tell that he was probably wondering nearly as many questions as I was.

"Fine. Watch closely," he said, standing with his wand. He gave it a wave and I watched in amazement as a jet of water spilled out of his wand and filled the empty vials. "See, magic exists," he said, sitting back down. I shook my head in disbelief. I couldn't think of anything to explain that. I touched the water. Yep, it definitely exists. I couldn't think of how it was even possible. I guess I had no choice but to believe him. Magic does exist after all.

"Okay, so, magic does exist. But, what makes you think I'm a witch," I asked slowly, trying to wrap my head around this.

"Your name has been in our books since we learned of your existence ten years ago. You are a witch. Have you ever done something you can't really explain?" he asked, impatiently. I thought about it carefully. There were a few times I could think of. One time I woke up and my hair was purple. My parents had been so pissed that they had beaten me and refused to feed me all day. Then again, there was also that time I accidentally set the curtains on fire. The candle had been across the room when next I knew; it was tipped over on the table in front of me and burnt the curtains. Both of those times had been during fits of extreme anger. There was also a time when I had seen a cat walking down the street and I seemed to understand it. It didn't come out in words but I knew it was hungry and needed food. There was also a time I actually had a conversation with a snake during recess at school. Recess at school was one of the few times I was actually allowed out of the house. I looked up at him and saw he was rolling his eyes, obviously bored with this.

"Well, yeah. There was this one time I accidentally set the curtains on fire with a candle that had been across the room. Then there was another time I woke up with purple hair. And-" I tried to continue but I could see shock cross his face and he interrupted me.

"Your hair colour changed? Has this happened before and can you try to change any aspect about you right now?" he asked hastily. I was confused at his request but decided to try it. I closed my eyes and thought carefully about having purple hair with little devil horns sticking out. When I opened my eyes I saw a mix of shock on his face with a slight smile.

"What?"

"Well, you now have purple hair and horns sticking out of your head. This means you're a metamorphmagus," he said, still smiling.

"A metamorphmagus? What's that?" I asked, confused.

"A metamorphmagus is a person who can change any aspect about them."

_Snape's POV_

"Well, yeah. There was this one time I accidentally set the curtains on fire with a candle that had been across the room. Then there was another time I woke up with purple hair. And-" she had started talking about times she had used magic and I was only half paying attention when I heard the hair colour change. I was in shock. Could it be? Could she be a metamorphmagus? Not possible. Her father wasn't one, unless her mother was. Then again it could be a very rare mutation in her magical genes. If her father got a hold of her this would be bad. Her drawings of Hogwarts already told me she was a seer. Who knows what could happen if he had control of that type of power?

"Your hair colour changed? Can you try to change any aspect about you right now?" I asked hastily. I watched as she closed her eyes, a slight smile of confusion crossing her features. I held my breath and watched as her hair changed to purple and little horns sprouted out of the top of her head. I was shocked at the truth of this and a slight smile crossed my face that I couldn't help. A very rare smile indeed.

"What?" she asked, confused and staring at me.

"Well, you now have purple hair and horns sticking out of your head. This means you're a metamorphmagus," I said, still smiling. I couldn't help it. What if Dumbledore agreed with me and we could use her powers. That would definitely allow the war to lean in our favor.

"A metamorphmagus? What's that?" She asked, obviously confused. Of course dealing with this annoyed me. It was annoying to deal with people who knew absolutely nothing about the wizarding world. All they did was asked questions but, seeing who her father is, it is best I keep my temper.

"A metamorphmagus is a person who can change any aspect about them." I explained, still wondering how this was possible. "Have there been any other incidents where you used magic?" I was very curious now and decided to pay full attention to all the little details.

"Well, there was also a time when I had seen a cat walking down the street and I seemed to understand it. It didn't come out in words but I knew it was hungry and needed food. There was also a time I actually had a conversation with a snake during recess at school," she said. My mind was racing. This could mean that she was both a parselmouth and an animagus but, I'd have to wait to find out. I had to get to Dumbledore soon and tell him about this! I shook my head, deciding to ask her about her drawings.

"That is very interesting. Your drawings, when did you draw these?" I asked, lifting the stack of papers I had been looking at earlier.

"Oh. You saw those. It's nothing," she said, obviously blushing and taking the stack of papers away from me.

"No, it's just that you have many drawings of Hogwarts and multiple professors," I said, taking back the stack and leafing through the papers. I finally reached a drawing of me and handed it to her. She was shocked and kept looking between me and the drawing.

"I- I used to see some of these things in my dream and I'd- I'd draw them," she said, stuttering. She was obviously nervous being around me and I couldn't blame her. I hated people and people hated me. Well, that proved it. She was a seer and had a gift of visions during her dreaming. I had to take her to see Dumbledore immediately he had to know of all this.

"Come, we must go," I said, standing.

**A/N: Well, for those of you who were once following this story, I sincerely apologize for deleting it. As I said on _Taming the Beast_, which I just recently re-uploaded the first chapter for those of you interested: I deleted all my fanfics in a fit of anger caused by personal stress and personal issues going on in my life. I am working to re-upload all the stories I had up. It will take some time so I think I might just start fresh with the whole 3 reviews= new chapter rule. **

**Again, I sincerely apologize and I will try to have the next chapter up soon! For those who are new to this fanfiction, I hope you enjoy and please review!**


	2. To Diagon Alley

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

_Nicole's POV_

"Come, we must go," he said, standing. I couldn't believe that I'd seen these things prior in my dreams. What could this all mean?

"Wait, hold on. You're telling me to come with you and I have no clue who you are. Sure, I can gather that you're a professor at Hogwarts but I don't even know your name or anything about you," I said, sliding a little away from him. I was then nervous around this stranger.

"I'm Professor Severus Snape, Potions Master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You are Nicole Riddle. There, we have been introduced and know each other. Now, come on," he said, impatiently. He was obviously in a hurry and had other things on his mind. Taking a glance at my still unconscious father, I stood and followed him. How bad could he be? He led me out of the basement and up the stairs. We didn't even pause to get me anything so I assumed I'd be returning, sadly. We walked out the front door and down the street, reaching an alley. He walked down it but I had stopped, nervous about following him. He turned, seeing I stopped. "Come. Nothing is going to jump out at you," he said sneering. I followed him down the alley to the brick wall where it cut off. Looking around, I realized that there would be no chance for escape and no one was around to save me. My breathing started to pick up and I couldn't think. I was so nervous that I could only stare and my lungs were starting to hurt. I could hear him cursing softly under his breath before gripping my shoulder. "Calm down. Calm down, you're having a panic attack," he said as I lowered myself to the ground, his hand still gripping my shoulder. I didn't know what to do or to think. After a while I calmed down and my breathing slowed. I slowly stood up, facing him and he just rolled his eyes.

"Now that you're done with that silly panic attack, grab my arm," he barked, holding out his arm for me. I looked up at him confused just to see him roll his eyes as if to say _just do it already_. Without hesitating, I grabbed his arm and he turned on the spot. It felt like I was being sucked through a worm hole and everything was black and flashing colours. I couldn't breathe and it felt like the air was being squeezed out of my lungs. Finally we stopped and I fell to my knees, coughing and trying to breathe again. I felt like I was going to be sick but I repressed the feeling. Looking up and around, I could tell we were on a path. Turning around, I could see a village with the mountains behind it. I looked over at Snape who handed me the stack of drawings he had taken. Leafing through them I saw that one was identical to this view I had. I realized that I had written something at the bottom of it. I tilted my head slightly to read it.

_**Hogsmeade Village**_

I looked between the identical pictures before turning around. To the right of the path, I could see a hut in the distance with a forest behind it and directly in front of us was a huge castle, looming above us. Glancing to my right I could see a rather large lake with a huge awkward Willow tree behind it. I flipped through the drawings and found the names for each of these. The lake was known as the Black Lake, the hut belonged to a half-giant named Hagrid, and this was the castle, Hogwarts. I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked to my left to see Snape staring at me. The minute I made eye contact he started walking, dragging me behind him.

"What was that? How did we get here?" I asked as we walked across a bridge towards the castle.

"We apparated here. Apparation is a form of wizard transportation," he said, not looking at me and staring straight ahead as we walked. All trace of kindness or happiness was gone from his face.

"Well, why couldn't you have 'apparated' us closer?" I asked.

"Because, Hogwarts has multiple protection spells around it. One of them being that nobody can apparate any closer to Hogwarts than where we were," he said as we reached the large wooden doors. He pushed them open and walked in, taking me upstairs.

"Where are we going?"

"To the Headmaster's office."

"When is school going to start?"

"The first of September."

"When will I get all my stuff? Where will I get all my stuff?"

"We will go get your stuff after we talk to the Headmaster. We will get them at Diagon Alley."

"Diagon Alley? Where's that?"

"In London."

"Where in London? Is it close to Grimmauld Place?" I asked, thinking of my house. I lived at 11 Grimmauld Place, London.

"No." I sighed. Snape wasn't really a fun person to talk to and said the bare minimum. He definitely seemed like one who was content with silence and being by his lonesome. Not that I blamed him, of course, since I preferred to be alone as of late. It was probably due to my parents. I laughed slightly, thinking about how for this one year, I would be the same age as my address. He glanced at me, his expression one of worry and curiosity. Great. He probably thought I was absolutely nuts and off my rocker. We reached a large statue of an eagle, wings spread.

"So, where is the Headmaster's office?"

"Stand there," he said, gesturing to the spot in front of the eagle. I stood at the spot he pointed to and he stood next to me. "Acidpop," he said and the eagle started turning as well as the stairs. It was like a spiral stone escalator. I managed to hide the shock on my face, reminding myself that this was a world of magic now and that I'd better get used to it. Finally, we stopped in front of a heavy looking wooden door. Snape reached out and knocked on the door three times.

"Enter," said an elderly voice from behind the door. I paused, nervous and looked at Snape. He rolled his eyes and pushed the door open dragging me in by the wrist behind him. We walked into a large circular room with stairs behind it leading up to a second level. In front of me was a rather large wooden desk with an elderly man with piercing blue eyes sitting opposite us. His eyes were glancing me over, and reminded me of being x-rayed. It almost seemed as if they were piercing through me and seeing into my soul.

"Please, sit down," said the elderly man across from me. I looked up at Snape nervously, unsure of whether to sit down or not.

"Sit down, Nicole," he said quietly, standing and leaning against the wooden archway behind us. I sat in one of the seats, Snape sitting in the one next to me, and faced the headmaster.

"Hello, Nicole. My name is-"

"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore," I said quietly, not even realizing I had spoke. I could see Professor Dumbledore's eyebrows raise slightly, his face still masked. I couldn't tell if he thought I was being rude or what not and I hastily went to correct my mistake, not wanting to be beaten. "I'm sorry Professor Dumbledore. I didn't mean to disrespect-"

"It is fine, Nicole," he said quietly, raising a hand to silence me. I sat, looking down at my hands before speaking.

"How do you know my name?" I asked. I realized it was a foolish question as soon as it came out of my mouth. "I mean- I- Never mind," I said, looking down towards the ground. I could hear him faintly laughing which I'm guessing was at my insecurity.

"To answer your question, Nicole, all the professors know your name," he said, smiling. I was about to ask how when I saw Snape giving him a look that said _shut up_. "Don't worry, Severus. I'm not going to tell her anything more than necessary at the moment," Dumbledore said, smiling at me again. I take it that they're polar opposites; one is incredibly happy and wise whereas the other one is incredibly sulky and seemingly more intellectual. I decided not to ask any more questions about my name as they didn't seem to want to answer too many of them. "So, Severus, I wasn't expecting either of you until much later. What came up that is of such importance?" Dumbledore asked Snape, obviously changing the subject.

"Well, Nicole here is a metamorphmagus as well as a seer," he said quickly. I could see shock momentarily cross Dumbledore's eyes followed by a twinkle of excitement.

"Oh really? How very interesting. This doesn't run in her father's bloodline. Her mother didn't have any interesting abilities either, as far as I am aware of," said Dumbledore trailing off in thought. I sat uncomfortably, wondering who my father and mother are or were. I sighed, deciding that I would figure it out somehow.

"Do you know who my mother is?" I asked, feeling slightly excited at this news. I'd hoped he had all the answers and that in a matter of time he would inform me.

"Yes, I do know who your mother is but, regrettably, cannot inform you of that at this time," he said quietly, obviously avoiding from telling me who my mother and father are or were. I could also tell that Snape was eager to change the subject. Hmm…. I would have to think of a nickname for him. Snape is too boring and well, it seemed impolite to call him by his first name. Hmm… what to call him?

"That's not it, Albus. She's also a very skilled Occlumens and hopefully Legilimens," Snape said quietly. I was becoming slightly anxious and nervous due to them talking about me and decided to raise the wall. I sat, thinking about the blank stretch of wall, staring back into Dumbledore's twinkling blue eyes. I was wondering what he was doing. I noticed that they were both staring intently at me and I blushed, keeping the mental wall up. I looked out the window, hoping that they'd get the clue that they were annoying me.

"Very interesting, Severus. You are correct. I can't read her whatsoever," Dumbledore said quietly, finally looking away. I looked to Snape, hoping he'd get the hint and look away also.

"Yes, I'm wondering if she could be a skilled Legilimens. That's not it, though, Albus. I have reason to believe that she may be an animagus and parselmouth," he said quietly, meeting Dumbledore's gaze. They shared a private conversation that I was not included in and worry showed in both of their eyes. I wondered what was going on.

"Very well, Severus. We shall explore this more at a later time and date. For right now, I suggest you take Miss Riddle here to purchase her school items," Dumbledore said, standing and turning away without another word and bent over an odd stone goblet that seemed to hold a liquidated form of light. I was staring at it curiously, wanting to ask Dumbledore about it but Snape grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the room without another word. I followed him, trying to yank my wrist back to no avail. I sighed, letting him drag me back out of the school and across the grounds. We walked in silence, crossing back over the bridge and out the gate. After walking a few paces further along the path, he stopped turning to me with a scowl plastered on his face. Sure, this man rescued me but he sure was nasty.

"Come on," he said quietly sticking out his arm again. I couldn't suppress the sigh that escaped from me; I would have to 'apparate' again, much to my displeasure. I carefully grabbed his arm and without warning, I felt that familiar feeling of being squeezed through a worm hole or a tiny tube. I almost fell to my knees again but he had a firm grip on my arm, keeping me upright. I coughed, breathing deeply and hoping that I wouldn't be sick. Looking up from the cobblestone, I saw the most wondrous sight of my life: Diagon Alley.

**A/N: It's not ridiculously long but this is chapter two! Again, I apologize for the deleting stuff! Sorry! Anyways, here it is. I think I'm going to wait to post chapter three until I get two or three reviews on this chapter!**

**So... review please! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	3. Wands and Robes

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Nicole's POV

I looked left and right, up and down the street. There were many old fashioned, almost medieval like wooden buildings on both sides of the streets. There were also large gates at random intervals that- hold on. Are those fireplaces? I was about to ask Snape about the seemingly random fireplaces (or were they gates?) when a green flame burst in one and young redheaded boy appeared out of nowhere.

"Sir- what is that? Why-"I was starting to question but, having followed my gaze, he knew exactly what I was talking about.

"Those fireplaces are another means of travel for us wizards and witches alike. The travel method is named floo powder and is relatively simple to understand. Nothing too complex," he said quietly, staring at me as if I was an idiot. "You take a handful of the floo powder, speak the name of the destination, clearly mind you, and drop the powder. You travel through green flames and don't necessarily have to fully appear in the fireplace of the other destination. There are many types of travel or forms of communication that can be reached through this," he finished, speaking the last sentence slowly. He really was an annoying prick now wasn't he?

"Excuse me, sir," I said quietly, emphasizing my anger and reluctance to say sir. I didn't really care though since I was so bloody angry at him. "I may be a child but that does not mean I'm an idiot who cannot comprehend the most trivial of concepts," I said, sneering back at him and turning back to the redhead I'd seen earlier. I spotted the ginger standing with several other gingers whom I assumed to be his family. Yes, you may be wondering what my age is since my vocabulary would suggest that I am older than eleven. However, I can assure you that I am eleven. I simply pride myself in my vocabulary (mainly achieved through reading and the teachers at my school helping me since I would always aspire to be the most sophisticated I could) and always try to be grammatically correct.

"Well then, Miss. Riddle," he said, sneering my name as if it were a curse. Seeing the reaction of Dumbledore, I think it even might have been. "I believe that we should purchase your wand first," he said, turning on his heel and walking down the street and into the throng of bustling wizards. I followed silently, maintaining a safe distance from this bat of a man. Wait, that'sit! Maybe I should call him batman! Well, I don't think the real batman would appreciate that too much. I followed him to a shop and, upon glancing at the sign, received the greatest shock of my life. Faded out writing at the top of the sign read:

Ollivanders

Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC

He continued on, dragging me inside to the dusty shop, not even glancing up to admire the sign. I thought it absolutely magnificent. The small shop was dusty but lined with four seemingly endless rows of narrow boxes, piled up to the ceiling. It was quite dusty and murky inside, giving an air of its age. Snape walked forwards, with me right behind him, and rang on the bell. At first, there was no answer and we were greeted by silence. Snape rang the bell on the counter again, its shrilllaughter piercing the silence. Still, we received no answer.

"Ah, surprising to see you here Mr. Snape," an old man said carefully, walking out slowly from behind a pile of boxes, which I assumed contained wands. "It's a pleasure to see you again, how is your wand?" He was rather elderly and he gave of the same air of wisdom and intelligence that Dumbledore did, though not to the same magnitude.

"Splendid as always, Ollivander. I am here on Dumbledore's orders. Miss. Riddle here needs to purchase her wand," he said quietly, moving aside as I had been nonchalantly hiding behind him. The minute Mr. Ollivander caught sight of me, his eyebrows raised and a flash of fear, followed by understanding, and then by sympathy crossed his eyes.

"Miss. Riddle. How very intriguing. It seems you have your father's charms," he said quietly, looking away and making himself busy, looking for a wand.

"Wait- sir, you knew my father?" I asked, wanting desperately to know more. He gave me a look filled with sorrow and sympathy. Snape managed to catch his eye before he said too much, though, he would say just enough.

"Not exactly, my dear. I wouldn't say I knew your father. I doubt anyone truly did as he preferred to be segregated. I remember him purchasing his first wand at your age. Ironically, his wand had a twin- a brother," he said quietly. I wondered what he meant by this but, from the tone of his voice, I could gather that this was a rarity. "The phoenix that gave the tail feather for your father's wand gave one other- the wand created from the second tail feather was in fact purchased earlier today,"he said, pulling down a box and glancing at the label curiously. He huffed, deciding that this would be the first wand I would try and walked back slowly. The wand he handed me was a right-handed wand to match my wand arm. He hadn't even asked so how did he know? I held the wand, confused as to what to donow and stared blankly back at him. "Give it a wave, my dear," he said. I followed his instructions, waving it, only to have the ladders attached to each row snap, their rungs dropping heavily to the floor, clattering. I hastily placed the wand back, not wanting to cause anymore destruction. "That is not it," he said, flicking his own wand to repair the damage. He climbed one of the ladders and slid down the aisle and out of sight.

"Sir- Sir, if you don't mind, can you tell me who purchased that wand earlier?" I asked, looking around the shop. I hadn't realized that whilst we were talking, Snape had disappeared mysteriously.

"A boy, your age, came in here earlier and purchased it. His name," he said, growing louder by the moment. I could hear the squeaking of the rails, meaning he was sliding back as we spoke. "Is Harry Potter," he said quietly, the ladder having just slid back to the end of the aisle. While he dismounted the ladder, I couldn't help but laugh silently at the timing and how dramatic he had been as he spoke. He handed the wand to me and, this time, I didn't hesitate to give it a wave. Similar to last time, disaster ensued, only that half the boxes fell off the wall in the corner, wands clattering to the ground. Wincing, I placed the wand back in its box yet, as I pulled back my hand, to my surprise, a box soared into it. It was a rather beautiful box, containing four colours: scarlet, emerald, sapphire, and a daisy yellow. I blinked several times, staring at the box. Ollivander's back was turned, flicking his wand to which all the boxes and wands piled themselves back onto the shelves neatly. I blinked, staring at him when he turned around, trying to gauge his reaction. "How did you get that?" he asked his voice thick with curiosity.

"I don't know. I was going to ask you. I had just put that wand back when this box soared into my hands," I said quietly, placing the box on his desk. He flicked his wrist and all the other wands that weren't any good soared back into the depths of the store, most likely returning to their spots. He then turned his attention to the multi-coloured box, flicking his wrist again. I watched as the box floated up to the top shelf of the aisle directly in front of us. The moment it was released from the spell, it soared back at me and I caught it with seconds to spare. I blinked again, confused as to what was occurring. He carefully took the box from me and placed it on the desk, carefully opening it. I stared at the wand, marveling over its beauty.

"Interesting. Well, don't just stand there. Give it a wave," he said after pushing the wand into my hesitant hands. I gave it a small flick of the wrist and was shocked at what happened. The wand seemed to spit several beautiful sparks from its end and fire wrapped in a circle around me. Panicking due to the flames, I could hear Ollivander's faint chuckles as the wind rushed around me. Soon, the flames, wind, and sparkles all died and I was greeted by silence. The silence was broken by Ollivander's laughter as he stared at my expression, which I assumed to be bemused. "I think, Miss. Riddle, that we have found your wand," he said, watching my shell-shocked expression with much amusement. That's when a hand was placed on my shoulder and, looking up, I saw Snape with an amused expression also. Angrily, I placed the wand back in the box, grumbling as I went to stand to the side so Snape could pay for the wand. Great. Was everybody laughing at my shock and excitement today? Well, at least I knew my father was a wizard. After Snape stepped to the side, I stepped up, hesitantly taking the box in my hands. Ollivander smiled kindly at me, before sighing and muttering something about how intriguing it was. "Take care of that wand, Miss. Riddle. It is a very special one indeed," he said quietly, staring meaningfully into my eyes.

"How so, sir? I mean- not that all wands aren't special but how is this one any different?"

"This, my dear, is a very special wand my father made many years ago. This wand is interesting and very powerful. It contains three wand woods and a blend of two cores," he said quietly. I could gather that this was another rarity.

"Three wand woods and two cores?" I asked, confused. I was wondering the details about my wand. It was quitebeautiful, I realized, upon taking it out of the box. It was long and sort of thick. I glanced back up at Ollivander, silently begging him for the details of my wand.

"That wand, is a kaya wand with a blue spruce handle, and yew inlays," he said quietly. I glanced back to the wand, noting the pale pink shade at the top and deep blue handle with very pale cream swirls which were inlayed in both the handle and the base of the wand. I glanced up at him, curiously, wondering how the different wand woods and cores affected the different wands. I was about to ask when he continued. "More intriguing, would be how much your wand contradicts itself. Where blue spruce excels in everything but the dark arts, Yew excels in almost nothing but the dark arts with the exception of transfiguration. Kaya, however, allows an excellence in logistical arts such as potions," Ollivander glanced to Snape quickly before continuing, "Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and Astronomy. Thefirst of the two cores in your wand is Mooncalf blood- primarily allowing a boost in Herbology and Occlumency." Snape glanced quickly at me, obviously thinking along the same lines as me that this further proved I could be an accomplished occlumens and legilimens. "Mooncalf blood also gives the user a powerful boost in charms which, in cases such as today, can be useful for- uh- tidying up. The second core within your wand is unicorn blood which is useful for healing as well as compatible with transfiguration and charms. Lastly, your wand is eleven inches, meaning that the wielder is well-rounded, usually kind and your wand is rigid, meaning that it will be difficult to learn spells but, once mastered, extremely powerful," he finished quietly. I took this all in. My wand seemed well rounded with almost no weaknesses. I bade Ollivander farewell as Snape was getting impatient. Following him out to the street, I could see that he had already purchased my cauldron, ingredients for potions, set of brass scales, telescope, and crystal vials.

"Come," he said quietly, walking away, "Now we must visit your vault." I followed him down the street and into a large marble building which he called Gringrotts which was the Wizarding Bank. Along the way, he explained how I had access to my mother's vault since she was dead. We walked in and, after a short conversation with the goblins that ran the bank; we were on a trolley, sitting across from each other, on our way to the vaults. The trolley hurtled along, sickening me as we went deeper and deeper underground. Finally the cart jerked to a stop and he handed me my key a bag to put the money in. I followed a small goblin, handing him the key so he could open my vault. Upon the door opening, I gasped in surprise at the heap of gold, silver, and bronze coins on the ground. I picked up a bunch, filling the bag until it was rather heavy and then followed the goblin back out, taking my key back. The ride back to the surface was, again, sickening and I barely paid any attention, my eyes closed the entire time. Finally the trolley stopped and I followed Snape out of the bank and back into the street.

We walked in silence down the street and back to a shop I had seen earlier: Flourish and Blotts. It was a large store full of tons of books for wizards and witches. I walked up the aisles, searching for my books. The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)was the first book I found. Snape walked with me, explaining the currency of the wizarding world as I went. He explained that the large gold coins were called galleons, the medium sized silver coins called sickles, and the tiny bronzy coins were called Knuts. From what I could gather and put together, I had enough money on me right now to buy all seven years worth of books, although I wouldn't do that. I decided that, since I was very curious, I would purchase the first three grades of this series. Continuing around the store, Snape and I found:  
A History of Magic, Magical Theory, A Beginner's Guide toTransfiguration, One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi,Magical Drafts and Potions, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection. I found each of the texts to be quite interesting. We made our way to pay for the books when another book caught my eye. Picking it up, I immediately added it to the pile. The title was: Hogwarts, a History. I paid for the books and followed Snape back out onto the street. All of these items were rather heavy and I found myself struggling to carry them. Sighing and rolling his eyes, Snape flicked his wand lazily and all the packages disappeared. Confused, I looked to him just to see him rolling his eyes and walking away. I followed him to another shop:Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.

"I need to go take care of something. You go inside and purchase your robes," he said before turning on his heel and disappearing, again. I walked inside cautiously to see a woman pinning a set of robes on a boy who appeared to be my age. Glancing back, she saw me and smiled in welcome.

"Hello, darling. Why don't you stand on this ladder here and I'll be with you in a moment," said the women, pointing to the ladder next to the boy. I listened and climbed the ladder, standing next to him.

"Hello," he said, smiling at me. He had jet-black hair, wire-rimmed glasses, and shocking emerald green eyes. He seemed very friendly and his smile was warm. There was a scar on his forehead though, shaped like a lightning bolt. I smiled back at him, thinking that he would be rather nice. I could tell he was here for his Hogwarts robes. Who knows, maybe we will be in the same house!

"Hi, my name is Nicole Riddle," I said quietly, sticking out my hand. He smiled, shaking my hand and running the other through his hair.

"Harry Potter. It's nice to meet you."

"You too," I said quietly, thinking. This was the Harry Potter who bought the twin of my father's wand. I couldn't help the outburst that came next. "You're Harry Potter?" I asked quickly.

"Oh, you know too. Why does it seem the whole world knows?" he mumbled quietly and looking away. I was confused. Know what? What did I supposedly know about this boy?

"Umm, I don't know what you're talking about," I said quietly, smiling confusedly.

"Oh, you don't know!" Harry looked hopeful, possibly hoping to make friends with a person who saw him for him. "Are you a muggle-born?" He asked quietly. I recognized the word from Snape trying to explain the wizarding world for me and shook my head.

"No. I'm not a muggle-born. It's kind of difficult to explain."

"I have time to listen," he said, smiling and gesturing to his robes.

"Well, then, here goes," I started, jumping head first into the story of my child hood. How I had been orphaned due to my parents' death yet didn't know who they were. He was sympathetic when he heard this, telling me all about his history. He told me about how his parents had been murdered by the Dark Lord Voldemort until I knew as much as he did. I then continued my story about living in the orphanage for a couple of years before being adopted by a family where the wife was a witch and the man was a muggle. I skipped out the whole beating part, glancing away as I skipped it. He could tell there was something wrong and put his hand on my shoulder.

"Hey, you okay?"

"I- I, umm, yeah." I didn't sound convincing at all.

"You don't need to tell me but, if you want to talk, I'm all ears," he said, grinning. I couldn't help but smile back. He really was a nice and kind person.

"Maybe some other time at Hogwarts. Now isn't exactly the place," I said quietly, glancing at Madame Malkin whom had just left with Harry's robes to the front. Harry jumped down off the ladder, smiling, and we shook hands before he turned walking away.

"Harry?" I asked, calling after him as he went to the front. He turned with a look of confusion on his face.

"I hope we're in the same house. Then we can be friends," I said quietly. He smiled, mumbling something in agreement before waving and running out of the store. A few minutes later, Madame Malkin came back and started to pin me for my robe size. A good fifteen minutes passed before she was finished and handed me five pairs of robes, five white button up shirts, five grey v-neck knit jumpers, and five pleated skirts. I paid for them and walked out front to see Snape standing there, looking rather impatient. As we were walking back down towards the end of Diagon Alley, I stopped, catching sight of a story named Magical Menagerie. I glanced in, rather curious about what was in there. It seemed to be a wizard pet store or something of the sort. I shook my head and continued following Snape, focused on just getting out of here. I followed him back to the end, near the Leaky Cauldron (a gate between Diagon Alley and London). He stopped and wordlessly held his arm out to me. Sighing, I took his arm, only to be squeezed through the wormhole again, feeling sick to my stomach. It wasn't as bad this time and I was able to catch my breath much more quickly than the other trips. When I opened my eyes, I saw we were back at Hogwarts, much to my confusion. Term didn't start until September 1st. Why was I here seeing as it was only July 31st. He turned sharply on his heel away from me and started up the path and across the bridge. I continued following him in silence, sometimes jogging to catch up to him. He was getting pretty far ahead again and I found myself jogging to catch up, again.

"Why are we here?" I asked quietly, gazing around.

"What do you mean 'why are we here'? You didn't expect to be returning to that hell hole, did you?" he asked fiercely, causing me to flinch involuntarily. He sighed before turning and continuing on. I followed him in silence, into the building, up the stairs, through the corridors, and finally reaching the stone eagle. It didn't faze me quite as much when he whispered the password and the eagle started to move, much to the gargoyles approval. He took one look back at me, realizing that I'd follow, before continuing up the stairs. When I reached the top, I could see the door already open and Snape had returned to his position of lounging against the stone archway. I glanced around, nervous to be here again before seeing Dumbledore's calm and reassuring look.

"Sit down," he said, kindly. I walked over, sitting in the same seat as before and glanced back at Snape before giving Dumbledore my full and undivided attention. I was still confused as to why I was here. What would happen to me now? If I wasn't going to return home then where would I go? Thankfully, I wouldn't have to wait too long for the answers. "I can tell that you are very confused and conflicted, Nicole. But, try to remain calm while I- we explain a few things." I nodded to let him know that I was ready and would try to follow as best as possible. I sat, watching him intently, waiting for him to begin. "Well, firstly, and I'm sure Severus agrees, you are not to go back to your home," he said, gently, as if he truly cared. I wasn't sure if I believed those words of comfort. They could easily be faked considering how often I'd heard officers and teachers tell me that when I explained my home life. They all lied. It never got better. It was never okay. Why should I believe it'd be any different now? The answer is that I shouldn't and I don't. I stared at him, hardened and not believing him. I guess he could sense it since he just sighed and shook his head. "Nicole, you will not be returning to that house and you are not going to be tortured here," he said quietly, looking around to Snape for help. He sighed, probably hoping that I'd trust Snape instead of him and beckoned Snape to come closer.

"Nicole," Snape said quietly, sitting down in the chair next to me.

**A/N: I decided to update this just for the heck of it. I hope anyone who reads this enjoys. If you do read this, please review! This was my first ever fanfiction and I have more than 250 pages on word! I'd love to know what you think!**


	4. What Now?

**A/N: The next chapter for this story! I would have updated last week but I was on vacation. So, to make up for it, I will probably update once more by the end of this week. In response to one of the reviews about the strange ending of the prior chapter, I cut it off there since there was a change in POV. Anyways, enjoy!**

_Snape's POV_

"Well, firstly, and I'm sure Severus agrees," Albus said, his gaze flickering to me momentarily, "You are not going back to that home," he said, as gently as he could to the girl. At the moment, I could sense her walls coming down slightly and, despite my better judgment, decided to plunge into her memories and see why she was so hesitant to trust Albus, possibly the most trustworthy man in the world.

_"Ms. Lea?" _I could see a younger Nicole, maybe a few years ago. Looking around, I could see that we were in a classroom, probably at one of her old schools. She was alone with her teacher who I assumed to be Ms. Lea. I carefully watched her as she looked down, hesitant to tell her teacher what was wrong. "_Yes Nicole?"_ _Nicole hesitated, anxious and thinking about what happened earlier to her this morning. _I was shocked, deep in her memories and thoughts at the time. Horrified, I realized she was talking to her teacher because… well, because… because she was raped and had been on many other occasions prior. I tried to tune out my sudden reaction. I was sick to my stomach as hatred filled my veins towards this man who was responsible for taking care of this poor, innocent child. _"I-I-I was r-ra-raped this m-morning," she stuttered painfully, hoping the teacher would understand. A look of shock flits across her face. "Don't worry about a thing Nicole. Everything will be alright. I promise." _The scene in front of me changes, flashing to what I assume later that day, when she is back at her house with her father, teacher, and several officers asking questions. _"Is Nicole having delusions again?" asked her father, seemingly worried but Nicole knew it was faked. Every word he ever said about her to any other living soul was a lie. He never told the truth. "Shut up! Stop lying!" she called, anger fueling her. The curtains to her left burst into flames, scaring the officers as one ran to get a bucket and put out the flames. After the flames were put out, Nicole had to watch, helplessly, as the officers and teacher left, calling her a lie and attention seeker. _I watched in horror as her father- no, her personal satan, grabbed her by the hair and dragged her down into the basement bedroom she had when I arrived to get her. It hadn't changed one bit and was exactly the same. I watched in horror as her beating ensued. He took out a pocket knife and carved into the back of her hand one word. _Freak_. I stared, horrified as I watched him pull her, bleeding with an obviously broken arm and cracked ribs, to the bed and start to undress her. Horrified, I did the only thing I could think of and pulled myself out of her memories. They were only a very few of her abusive past and nowhere near the worst but they were the best ones to show how her trust in others was broken. That woman had promised the seven year old Nicole that from then on out, everything would be alright. It wasn't and I could see how she thought it was a lie and that everyone must lie. A tear escaped my eye as I stared straight forward, Albus catching my eye. He seemed confused and was obviously wondering what I'd seen to put me through so much pain that I'd actually shed a tear.

I looked at Nicole, seeing thoughts and questions flash across her face. She was obviously having some sort of internal argument. It was obvious that she didn't know whether she could trust Albus- whether she should trust him. Something changed in me at that moment. I knew that none of this was her fault- none of her behavior. She had every right not to trust Albus, seeing as what happened in her past. Not even my past was that horrid. As I watched her, I saw something change in her. Her confused eyes froze, hardening as if set in stone. She'd made her decision. She wasn't going to trust Albus unless there was reason. Her lips were set in a frown, almost a glare. Albus seemed to have noticed since he shook his head and sighed.

"Nicole, you are _not_ going back to that house and you will _not_ be tortured here like you used to," he said quietly, for once, unsure of how to convince her. I couldn't understand how that was possible. Albus Dumbledore- the Albus Dumbledore unsure of what to do during any situation? I'd have thought that was impossible and that I wouldn't live to see the day. He looked to me, actually looked to me, silently begging for help. I didn't know what he wanted me to do. I was so useless when it came to children. I didn't care much for them and in fact despised most of them but, her, Nicole, I couldn't. I didn't know how, I didn't know why, but I changed. I felt so badly- was so horrified by what happened that I wanted, with all my heart, to make sure it didn't happen again. I couldn't' let anyone else know that, though, since I had a cruel and uncaring reputation to keep up. I could see that Nicole had already figured out Albus' plan and I couldn't help but smile. She was a rather bright one. Albus beckoned me to come closer and I forced myself to stand up straight, walk the few steps to the chair, and sit down.

"Nicole," I heard myself whispering. What could I do? What could I possibly tell her that would get her to trust me? That's when it hit me. I looked to Albus, who had already guessed at what I would have to do, to see him walking out of the room and closing the door behind him. I turned my full attention back to Nicole who was staring at me emotionlessly. I could see where this path would take her. It would turn her into someone like me- someone who was cold, cruel, emotionless, bitter, and only existing to make others miserable. I didn't want that to happen- I could _not _let that happen. I decided to try again and just speak from what I felt was right and not try to reason too much. "Nicole, I know what happened to you. I saw your memories," I said quietly. I could see guilt, surprise, hurt, and sorrow all flit across her face. It was obvious that she didn't know how to reply since she just bent her head in shame, staring at the carpet. I took a deep breath to relax myself before launching into my story. "Nicole, I know it's… difficult," I said slowly, carefully choosing my words. She looked up at me, anger flashing across her delicate features.

"_You_ know that it's _difficult_?" she said, more of a sneer that a question. "What do you know about anything?" she asked harshly, obviously her past affecting her in the worst possible ways. The minute the words left her mouth, fear flashed across her face and she bent her head in shame, pulling her knees to her chest as if expecting to be hit or beaten. I sighed, wondering how in the world I would convince this traumatized eleven year old.

"Nicole, I know how you feel. I know because- because…" I trailed off, still unsure if I truly wanted to go through with this- to relive my past.

"Because what?"

"Because I was also abused in my childhood by my father. It may not have been to the same extreme as, uh, your case but it hurt the same nonetheless," I said quietly. I silently cursed myself for saying it- for being so vulnerable, weak, and pathetic. Emotions were simply a sign of vulnerability, weaknesses, and could only be used against you. They couldn't do anything for you except hurt you. I'd learn my lesson after… after… after Lily. I could feel the tears welling up just behind the surface but fought them off. _Control yourself Severus. Lily wouldn't have wanted you to be this pathetic- this weak._

"I- I'm sorry professor," Nicole said quietly, looking up through her bangs at me. I sighed, wondering what to say now. How should I word this? I don't even like children. I shook my head, trying to clear my mind of all these scattered thoughts. I was torn between mourning, again, for Lily, comforting Nicole, continuing that important talk with Albus, and Quirrel. He had been acting rather strange lately… _No, Severus. Clear your mind. One matter at a time._

"It is not your fault Miss. Riddle. It is a matter of the past. I am more concerned of you right now. Learning to trust people, even after horrid events such as these, is key in life," I said quietly, speaking whatever would come to my mind. "You certainly don't want to end up like me," I muttered quietly, unable to suppress it. Hopefully she didn't hear. She was already looking a little better, maybe a little more hopeful, seeing as she isn't the only person to be abused. "The important thing is that you move on. You are not ever going back there. You are at Hogwarts now, amongst many kind and supportive teachers," I said quietly, hating this discussion. She looked up through her bangs again, still obviously scared of being abused. "I assure you that no one will injure you here on purpose, Miss. Riddle. You will be perfectly safe from that family of muggles you've been living with and safe from danger whilst at Hogwarts," I said impatiently. I really had no time for this but I had to bloody suck it up and deal with it. It was important she learned to trust and love. She would not- scratch that- she _could not _become like her father. She slowly lifted her head, no longer peering through her bangs and nodded, taking a deep, shuttering breath.

"I- I think I'm r-ready to talk to Professor Dumbledore again," she said quietly. I prayed silently, masking my emotion again, that I had finally gotten through to her. That tiny little conversation was enough. I'd felt so much emotion in that one little conversation and showed so much emotion that one who knew me would think I finally wrecked. I stood up, headed for the door to tell Albus we were finished only to find him already opening the door and waltzing in. Crazy old man. They were definitely right when they said he was probably the wisest man of the age yet, also off his rocker. That's when it struck me that he might've been listening. Not that it truly mattered since we had already discussed all of this. I shook my head, staring at him blankly.

"Were you eavesdropping?" I hissed, lowly so that Nicole couldn't hear me.

"I wouldn't call it eavesdropping, my dear Severus, but more of a character study: Severus Snape's reaction to children sharing a similar past as his," he said, smiling as he walked to his desk and sat down. I rolled my eyes at his look. I didn't think I'd like where he was going with this. It seemed that he would be making this 'character study' last way longer than it should. I leaned against the arch, staring out the window, appearing to be unconcerned and uninterested but, really, I wanted to hear every word he said to her. Albus turned his gaze to the child who, still, unconsciously flinched under the gaze.

_Severus, please at least come sit down. As much as you hate to, try to show the girl some support as you would've hoped someone would've done for you all those years ago_. Albus was getting rather annoying. I tried to ignore him, pretending that I hadn't caught the thought but I knew I couldn't ignore it. He stared into my eyes as if to say _I know you're ignoring me. Now do what I asked. You made a promise._ I sighed and rolled my eyes, walking quickly over to the chair and slumping down into it, annoyed. What was wrong with me? I'm acting as foolish as a schoolboy and all over this stupid- no, I would not think of her as I did other students- abused child.

"Now, Nicole, as I had been saying before, it is agreed by all the staff that you shall reside here during your schooling. I think that it is appropriate to appoint a guardian…" Albus trailed off, feigning to be deep in thought for Nicole whilst beginning a silent and mental conversation with me.

_Severus, I need you to care for the girl for the time being. You need to act in as her guardian until she is of age._ I almost gasped aloud but managed to hold it in. I knew I hadn't succeeded in suppressing the shock that flitted across my face. I cleared my mind, masking my emotion again with my cold, expressionless look. Albus was definitely off his rocker. It was official. Me, take care of a kid? Absurd. I couldn't even be bothered to be nice to children in class, never mind actually having to care for one.

_Have you gone insane, Albus? Me, care for a child? Absolutely not! I am far too busy to deal with a child!_ I thought, pushing the thought towards him. You could practically hear the hidden sneer.

_Severus, it is essential that she is shown love and raised. I think it will be good for both of you. Besides, we don't need another Riddle to turn, do we?_

_ Absolutely __**not**__, Albus!_

_ Why not, Severus? Are you afraid to love anyone again after Lily? Are you? Are you afraid she'll leave you, desert you, or be ripped from you?_

_ I, Severus Snape, afraid? Perish the thought_. I practically growled at him. He thinking me afraid was the most absurd thing I've ever heard. I may be many things but I am not afraid. I am not a coward.

_I don't know, Severus. You seem to be very reluctant about this situation. I think you are afraid to love again._

_ I am not afraid. I am not a coward. I am not afraid to love again. I simply can't._

_ You and I both know that isn't true, Severus. I can see that you're already starting to care for that insignificant child._

_ She is not insignificant and she is not 'child'. She has a name. _I pushed the thought at him bitterly before I could stop myself. I could see the smirk on Albus' face. He had just won the argument. I sighed reluctantly. I can't believe I was actually going through with this.

_Fine, Albus, fine. I will take the girl._

"Well, it's settled then," said Albus, clapping his hands and smiling at Nicole. I simply rolled my eyes, biting my tongue to keep me from saying something I'd regret to Albus. After all, he is the only person I can trust after… Lily.

"What's settled?" Nicole asked timidly.

"I have figured out who will be your new guardian," he said, smiling widely and glancing between the two of us. She finally seemed to take the clue and glanced out of the corner of her eye at me. I glared back, figuring that I wasn't going to give in without a fight. She met my glare dead on, staring me right in the eye. We sat there, glaring at each other childishly, waiting for the other to look away. I heard Albus sigh yet still didn't turn away from the girl. "I have a feeling these next seven years will be quite eventful," he said sarcastically. I couldn't help but smirk at the sarcasm thick in Albus' voice. It was so- so uncharacteristic of him. I'm usually the sarcastic and slightly depressed one with the happy nothing-can-go-wrong Albus. I kept staring at the girl, not looking away. She seemed to be getting bored of this, rolled her eyes and looked away.

"I guess I have to be the mature one here," she said playfully while looking away. "To think that the eleven year old has to be more mature than the professor," she mumbled, smiling at me as she did so. Obviously she was joking around but… I didn't know how to respond. Should I kid back? Should I simply ignore the comment?

_Nicole's POV_

"Well, it's settled then," said Albus, clapping his hands and smiling at me. I was startled by the sudden noise at it had seemed both adults in the room had blanked.

"What's settled?" I asked, slightly nervous.

"I have figured out who will be your new guardian," he said, smiling widely and glancing between the two of us. I managed to get the hint. Breathing deeply, I couldn't help thinking that I was going from being abused to ignored. Great, this would be so much fun. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye to see him glaring at me. Slightly shocked by his attitude, I glared back, figuring that from here on out, I wouldn't be the timid, shy Nicole anymore. No, I would be much braver and I wouldn't flinch under anyone's gaze. I wouldn't ever give anyone the satisfaction of walking over me ever again. From this day forwards, I would carry on. After all, I was much stronger than to be breaking down. Never again would it happen. Never again would I let someone use me and then get away with it without a fight. I met his gaze dead on, glaring back with as much ferocity as I could muster. I knew it was probably childish and his thoughts were probably along these lines but, it meant something to me. It meant something that I could meet his gaze, staring back at him without flinching and crying like I might've a couple of minutes ago. Though he may not be one full to the brim of emotion, I think he was just what I needed. I needed someone to help me recover from my past to the point where I could be strong. In fact, after the abuse of my father, I needed someone who could make me strong enough where even a dark wizard like Voldemort wouldn't scare me. I waited for him to look away but, I heard Dumbledore's sigh, meaning that he was getting bored of our behavior. "I have a feeling these next seven years will be quite eventful," he said sarcastically. I couldn't help but smirk at the sarcasm in Dumbledore's voice. He seemed like such a nice man- caring, wise, and able to joke around. He kept staring at me, not looking away. I got bored, finally deciding to look away. Someone had to be the mature one in this situation- the bigger person.

"I guess I have to be the mature one here," I said playfully with a smile on my face as I looked away. "To think that the eleven year old has to be more mature than the professor," I mumbled, smiling at him as I did so. I waited for him to joke or say something sarcastic back but, after a few minutes, decided to ask him straight up about it. "You do know it was a joke, right?" The last thing I wanted was to insult my new guardian with a joke.

"Yes. I-"He started, stammering several incoherent words. I rolled my eyes, turning to Dumbledore, hoping that he could shed some light on the situation for me. He smiled, laughing slightly at the expression on our faces.

"You see, Nicole, professor Snape's- uh- past isn't a very pleasant one. He is currently unsure of how to respond to the joke and slightly taken aback by your sudden burst of newfound confidence. I am also slightly taken aback by this. Why the sudden change, Nicole?" I smiled slightly at the question. I'd been expecting something like this. It would be fun to answer this question.

"Well, you see, I just had an epiphany. I was thinking, _why should I let people walk all over me? _I couldn't come up with any decent answer so I decided that it wouldn't happen ever again. I would not let someone walk all over me, use me, or try to scare me," I said, determined. I knew every word I spoke was true. Something had changed in me. I doubted that I would even fear death now. I mean, we would all die eventually. Would it be better to die being scared your whole life, or die feeling accomplished that you've stood up to your fears and didn't let anything hold you back from the freedom that belonged to you?

"Yes, but what exactly did you think or realize that caused this change?" he asked carefully, looking me dead in the eye. I could tell he knew. Maybe he had wanted me to say it aloud so Snape could also hear?

"I dunno, I guess it's just that I've realized, what else do I have left to lose? Sure, there's always dying but, then again, even that isn't that scary. Whatever happens, happens and you can't change it. Plus, I'd rather die feeling accomplished than empty and incomplete. Why, professor, do you think it is better to die having feared all your life or die knowing that you've stood up to your fears if nothing else- that you didn't let anything hold you back?" I asked, looking at him. I could tell his answer would be along the same lines as mine. "I would rather die knowing I didn't let anything hold me back. If it is my time to die, then so be it. For every death, there is life anew," I said quietly, unsure of where the words were coming from but I knew all the same that they would help me overcome my fears of abuse. I could see Snape out of the corner of my eye looking down at his hands as if in thought. Looking back at Dumbledore, I could tell he noticed. He smiled at me as if to say that exactly what had been happening to me was happening to him for a long time now. I ducked my head, thinking that, whatever it is he feared I would help him like he helped me. "So…" I said, trying to break the silence. Of course, they just awarded me by staring at me ever silent. Taking a deep breath, I decided to continue talking as no one had any intention of speaking. "What happens now?"

**A/N: It's not that great and I'm not completely satisfied with it but I hope you enjoyed it nevertheless! Hopefully I'll update again by Friday!**


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